Blessings
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A LIFE OF BLESSINGS
CONSIDER THE BLESSING OF HAVING GOD AS OUR FATHER |
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| He is the source of every good and perfect gift from above | Jm 1:17 | |
| Mt 7:11 | ||
| He provides us comfort in all our afflictions | 2Co 1:3-4 | |
| When needed, in love He chastises us | He 12:5-11 | |
| He has promised never to forsake us | He 13:5-6 | |
YET, THERE ARE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HAVING GOD AS OUR FATHER... |
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| We must SUBMIT to God | Jm 4:7 | |
| By submitting to His Word | ||
| By submitting to His providential workings in our lives | 1Pe 5:6-11 | |
| We must also DRAW NEAR to God | Jm 4:8 | |
| Just as an earthly father delights when his children want to draw near to him, so does God |
Mt 23:37 | |
| We draw nearer to God by "cleansing our hands" and "purifying our hearts" |
Jm 4:8 | |
| For the Christian, this involves REPENTANCE, CONFESSION OF SINS, AND PRAYER | Ac 8:22 | |
| 1Jn 1:9 |
CONCLUSION
There are certainly many more blessings and responsibilities that we
have as Christians. But I hope that these suffice to IMPRESS UPON US...
a. How blessed we are as Christians
b. How important it is that we fulfill our responsibilities
-- OR WE MAY LOSE THE BLESSINGS WE HAVE! -
He 3:12-15:
"003:012 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
003:013 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
003:014 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
003:015 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.